In an old spinning mill with its roots in the industrial revolution, an expanding company has carved itself a niche in the 21st century world of global digital technology.

Content Online operates from Warwick Mill Business Centre, near Carlisle, where it distributes technical, engineering and scientific publications for some of America's best-known publishers.

The family-owned business set up 12 years ago by husband and wife team, Steven and Kerry Tweedie, is now looking to recruit new staff to its growing business which two years ago expanded into Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Denmark and Iceland.

The company, which started life in the laundry room at Steven and Kerry’s home in Wreay, has a staff of 14.

Steven, a 43-year-old father-of two, said: “Our business is fun and not at all stuffy. We have never been in a box and our management structure is short and flat - we just get on with the job in hand. We make decisions quickly and have a good time at work.”

As an illustration of this, earlier this year the entire workforce went on a week-long road trip across eastern US to meet new publishers.

“We do something like this every year to pick up business. Previously we have been to Croatia and Sri Lanka,” he added.

Steven said that Content Online is the middleman between publishers and customers, across the UK, northern Europe and Scandinavia.

He added: “Almost every university in the UK is a customer if they are in the field of engineering, shipping, renewable energy, aerospace or medical learning.

“Technology touches everything out there including the components of our smartphones.”

Working with Steven out of Warwick Mill are a team of professionals including marketing and communications manager Michael Barber, finance director Chris Carr, group administrator and PA to the directors Julia Harper and marketing assistant Chelsea Plunkett.

Steven added: “My main role is to develop relationships with publishers to find customers for their products across the UK, Scandinavia and northern Europe.

“Right now we are growing massively and we need to consolidate where we are. We have seen a 63 per cent increase in turnover - 2017 was record breaking.

Michael explained that everything in the world today is digitally driven whether than be in the workplace or at home.

“We watch TV on electronic devices not mechanical,” he said.

“There are great opportunities out there in what is the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Everything is connected to the internet with companies blossoming. They need to use content to exist and this gives us an opportunity to expand,” he said.

“It is appropriate that next April we are exhibiting at a big show in Telford which is the home of the first Industrial Revolution.”

Among the publishers Content Online represents, is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the world’s largest technical professional organisation, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Morgan & Claypool scientific publishers.

As a big supporter of charity, Content Online is committed to helping Child Bereavement UK and World Vision with funds going into the building of a well in Africa.